Having frequented most of the district’s Thai cafes on numerous occasions I had begun to put them all in the same wok when, in fact, they are all quite different.
It wasn’t until planning a long overdue night out with the girls that the vote fell in favour of Thai Flame and I realised I hadn’t been there in quite some time.
Despite being out of touch with the menu, I wasn’t expecting any surprises.
How wrong I was. The whole evening was surprisingly good from the moment we were greeted with warm smiles to the moment we were graciously thanked on departure.
Again, I was reminded that I like the contemporary setting and romantic style of Thai Flame and I was also reminded how much I appreciate professional service.
I do not understand how some restaurants can get it so wrong when at most Thai venues, including Thai Flame, all the small things such as water, extra napkins, offers of more drinks or rice are attended to promptly and efficiently.
Staff members are unobtrusive yet the minute something needs attention they seem to be there.
In the past I have tended to order an old favourite (three spice chicken) so on this occasion I was determined to try something different.
The rest of our group also had high praise for other dishes ordered among them chicken with cashew nuts, a relatively tame order yet well-liked in our group plus two tofu dishes – deep fried tofu on salad with sweet chilli sauce and crushed peanuts and stir-fried tofu in oyster sauce with mixed vegetables.
The deep fried tofu was a tentative choice on one person’s part but she later declared it as, “a winner.”
We had such a good night, I was determined to return and a few weeks ago a friend and I ducked in for an early dinner.
I immediately suggested we indulge in the tempura prawns one of the hits from my previous visit.
Not very Thai I know but so, so, good. We shared the plate – five prawns plus and assortment of tempura vegetables ($14.90). It struck me that this dish would by a very satisfying lunch option, generous but not too heavy for a midday meal.
We also shared an entrée of curry puffs ($7.50) before tucking into mains of Pad Thai ($16.95) which friend was keen to try plus a red curry of roasted duck, medium hot ($21.90). Just the ticket on a cold night.
This was a simple, flavoursome and comprehensive meal. We took a bottle of wine, which kept costs down, and savoured an evening in which both the ambience and the food gave great pleasure.
